North Carolina State University Athletics
A Sense of Being a Team (10/29/08)
10/29/2008 12:00:00 AM | Pack Athletics
Editor’s note: Daniel Fish is a junior member of the NC State men's soccer team from Raleigh's Athens Drive High School
The season is almost over. We do not have a winning record as we approach the end, but unlike the last couple of years there is a belief that is common throughout every individual on the this team. As we approach the end this year, everyone on the team still has a positive outlook and still believes that this team still has a great chance to be successful.
I think that an overall “positive attitude” has been established this year and this attitude has partly led to our belief that we can be successful. Although cold right now, practices this year have been generally more enjoyable and more competitive than the past years. We have been playing a lot more 11 v 11 games during practice which has allowed us to bond more with our teammates. This has also allowed us to instill a sense of pride and competition within the practices because the backups (who more than hold their own) get to play against the starters during these scrimmages. Instead of going into practice with a negative attitude, most of the players this season generally look forward to the daily competition. Real games have always been considered fun, but I feel that this new found sense of enjoyment in practice has led to an overall change in attitude, for the better.
I think that the biggest reason that we still have the belief that we can be successful is because of the way that the team has come together as a family. This year’s team has players born in ten different countries spreading across four of the six livable continents on the globe. There are more languages and dialects spoken in the locker room than a normal person could even dream of learning in a lifetime. Yet, through all of these differences, this team has been the closest’ of any team associated with NCSU soccer that I have yet to be on. Although you could circle globe more than once with the distance needed to connect all of these countries, I feel that the distance is what has brought us closer together.
This year, every individual, whether foreign or domestic, has brought his own personality to the team. Instead of clashing these different personalities have led to some of the most unique conversations I have ever witnessed. For the last month, I think one of the most humorous and an ongoing debate (between a guy from Haiti and a North Carolinian) has been about politics and the presidential race. One on the outside can only begin to imagine. This is just one of many examples that keeps life on the soccer team very interesting.
This family unity also helps to bring a sense of pride to the team. Players from the past years might have always been about their own stats. In the past, a player might have been more into their individual performance rather then the teams. Although this could always exist on any team in any sport, in general, players on this years team would rather see the team succeed than just themselves. Members on the team are fighting for others like I’ve never seen before. People are willing to stand on the line and sacrifice their bodies to score or save a goal this year. I feel that all of these actions are directly linked to this new found general sense of pride that all members of the team have found this year.
Our team is very close to stepping up a level and being very successful. This idea of “near success” is repeated daily by our coaches and our captains and is very near to becoming a reality. We lost on the road in overtime vs. North Carolina (currently ranked in the top-10). We lost last weekend 2-1 to Maryland (ranked No. 6 at the time), but came back and played so well after giving up two early goals. We were close in both of these games but were unfortunately we were unable to pull them out.
We beat then-No. 13 Boston College, 2-0, but due to some unfortunate circumstances, we were forced to forfeit the game. Three close games that would have moved us to the middle of the ACC standings and likely earned us a NCAA bid. We can feel it as a team. We are right there, we have the skill and the players that we need. We definitely have the facilities (with the addition of our new soccer stadium). All we need to do now, as a team and a family is to take that last step and make it happen.
